29th Grand Rapids Pride: A rainbow celebration in the shadow of Calder

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Nearly thirty years ago when I attend our first Gay Pride, it was a lonely affair in many ways since it was typically the only event that took place to commemorate our community’s LGBTQ.

Now the entire month is packed full of events happening all over the city including this weekend’s Third Annual White Party kick off event at Rumors on Friday, June 16 to a festive Pride Block Party / Family Gathering hosted by the Apartment Lounge and the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum with special musical guest Betty on Sunday, June 18. Even at Actors' Theatre of Grand Rapids a play devoted to the Stonewall uprising, "Hit the Wall," will open this weekend and run until June 25.

But the real star of our festive Pride weekend is the annual Grand Rapids Pride taking place at Calder Plaza.

This annual homecoming style event features area merchants an organizations serving the LGBTQ of our city as well as a lively stage show with the best of our local talent performing alongside national acts including Billy Gillman, Bonnie McKee, DJ Citizen Jane, Lipstick Jodi, DJ Keller Shaw.

Grand Rapids Pride’s main headliner, Billy Gillman, a country singer, is a former contestant of The Voice who was the runner-up in season 11. In 2014 and hours after another country singer Ty Herndon had come out, Gillman posted a video on YouTube indicating he, too, was gay.

Gillman’s “One Voice” was nominated for Grammy in 2001 for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and won the American Music Award’s Favorite Country Artist (2001).

And while coming out stories are more and more common these days, within certain parts of the entertainment and sporting industry, Gillman’s and Herndon’s act made sure that their voices would be heard not just within the genre they serve via their music, but so that others who might be gay also have a north star to help them navigate the choppy waters of our society as they come out.

As they often chanted in the 90s at Pride celebrations all over the world, “We’re here. We’re queer. Get used to it.” Coming out has real power still today and Grand Rapids Pride is the best place to land and celebrate our diversity.